DictionaryAI

rend

USREND/ɹɛnd/

Formsrends, rending, rent

3 meanings of rend

Practice

  1. 1
    verbtransitive
    To tear or rip something apart, or off, very violently. Or to tear apart by itself.

    Like ripping a sheet of paper in two.

    The strong winds rend the old sails into strips.

    She rent the letter in half and threw it away.

    UsageThe past form is rent: the blast rent the wall.

    Similartear, rip, split, rupture, sunder

  2. 2
    cause turmoilverbfigurativelytransitive
    To suddenly destroy the calm of a place and throw it into trouble.

    Like a loud alarm breaking the silence of a quiet room.

    A long strike can rend a quiet town and turn friends into enemies.

    The scandal rent the small town apart for months.

    UsageOften rent by: a country rent by war.

    Similardivide, split, tear, fracture, convulse

    Oppositeunite, unify

Less common meaning

  1. 3
    nounrare
    The act of tearing something apart with great force.
    She'd been in a couple of minor car accidents herself, and witnessed a few others, and the rend of metal was unforgettable.
    2002, John S. Anderson, A Daughter of Light

Practice

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Origin

From Old English rendan, meaning to tear. Its deeper origin is uncertain.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts